Predators Describe First Twenty Games in Three Words: Growth, Resiliency, and Commitment
"It's a lot of growing."
That is how Predators' captain Roman Josi described the first twenty games of not only a new season, but a new chapter for the Nashville Predators franchise.
"I think we grew a lot in the first twenty," Josi said. "We actually started the season pretty decent, pretty well. I think we played well. Our record might have not shown it. Obviously went through a little bit of a low there for a couple games where we didn't play well. Now we're back on a ... win streak. It's a lot of growing. I feel like we're getting better and better each game."
"It's been a good first twenty games, and there's still a lot of room for improvement."
It has been an up and down twenty games to kick off 2023-24 and Andrew Brunette's tenure behind the bench. The Predators went 2-1 in the first three games of the season that included a shutout win over the Seattle Kraken. The first two losses came against Tampa Bay and Boston, and while the Predators didn't earn any points, they did gain some confidence going toe to toe with two playoff caliber teams early.
A 6-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on October 17 at home was not as bad as the final score indicated, and Nashville added three wins to their record but also two losses to a surprisingly good Vancouver Canucks team to close out October. The road loss to Vancouver on October 31 kicked off a five game western road trip that saw the Predators go 1-4. The lone win came against Edmonton, a game that in hindsight may have been more indicative of the Oilers' struggles than the Predators' ability to win games.
Nashville's return to home ice saw the Predators give up two goal leads against Arizona and Anaheim to lose both games before the team got back in the win column. The team is currently on a six game win streak with 21 games played.
Nov 24, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Nashville Predators center Colton Sissons (10) controls the puck against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The resiliency the team has had to learn through the ups and downs of the first quarter of the season stands out to veteran forward Colton Sissons.
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"We've shown some pretty good resilience," Sissons said. "We went through a really tough time there at the end of October, early November. That's a big test for a new group, a new coach, and just a lot of differences coming into the season."
Twenty games has also given the team time to gel on and off the ice. Lines are building chemistry, and the Predators are starting to pull in the same direction.
"We stuck together, we buckled down. Had some tough meetings and some tough talks between ourselves and figured out a way out of it and played some good hockey as of late," Sissons said. "That's probably what sticks out the most thus far."
Phil Tomasino agrees that the team's commitment has been an important part of this early stretch of hockey.
"I think we're committed to each other and committed to the system," Tomasino said. "It's a lot of fun to be a part of right now."
Andrew Brunette talked about where this team sits twenty games in compared to what his expectations were, but for him the evaluation wasn't so much about wins and losses as it was about that commitment level and mindset.
"They definitely met my expectations in their commitment level and their work ethic and their enthusiasm of trying to learn something a little bit different," Brunette said. "I think that growth mindset goes a long way."
"I never really put parameters or expectations or limits on what we can do. I just want to try to be the best version of what we can be, and it's a daily process. It's day to day. I hope we can continue to grow with it."
The challenging first twenty games helped the team learn more about how they want to win games and how important it is to continue growing. The Predators feel they are off to a good start when it comes to developing the necessary resiliency for an 82 game season.
